Women's NCAA Tournament final sets another viewership record

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball past South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) in the finals of the NCAA Tournament. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA Tournament final sets another viewership record for women's basketball

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 4/8/24

A massive audience tuned in for a historic women's NCAA Tournament championship game.

South Carolina-Iowa drew 18.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a basketball game — college or professional — since the men's NCAA Tournament championship game in 2019, an 85-77 overtime win by Virginia over Texas Tech.

This year's women's final marked the end of Caitlin Clark's college career. Her last three games set back-to-back-to-back records for women's basketball viewership with 12.3 million viewers tuning in for an Elite Eight matchup with LSU and 14.2 million watching Iowa-UConn in the Final Four.

Clark set the record for most points in NCAA Tournament history in the Hawkeyes' 87-75 loss to South Carolina.

She responded to the remarkable television numbers on social media.

18.7 MILLION
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) April 8, 2024

The Athletic's Richard Deitsch noted several high-profile events the championship game eclipsed. Only four college games — the three College Football Playoff games and Michigan-Ohio State — averaged more viewers, and it also dwarfed any World Series game since 2019 and NBA Finals game since 2017.

To put this in perspective, this game drew more than:

• All but four college football games in 2023.
• Every World Series game since Game 7 of the 2019 WS.
• Every NBA Finals game since G5 of 2017 NBA Finals.
• Every Daytona 500 since 2006.
• Every Masters final round… https://t.co/x2Yn5bbxJM
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 8, 2024

The stunning viewership totals speak to how transcendent of a star Clark has become. Her ridiculous range from beyond the arc and outstanding court vision has made her appointment television. Luckily, the likely No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever in next Monday's WNBA Draft won't wait long to take the court again.

The Fever kick off their regular season on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun. Everyone should have their calendars circled for two days later when Clark potentially hosts another long-range sniper, Sabrina Ionescu, and the New York Liberty.

Clark may also appear at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. As the Washington Post notes, she was recently one of 14 players invited to USA Basketball's training camp, putting her in the running for a spot on the 12-woman roster.

The Olympics begin on July 26, with USA women's basketball's first 5x5 group stage game on July 29.

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